OPTICALLY ACTIVE COMPOUND, AND ANTIFERROELECTRIC LIQUID CRYSTAL COMPOSITION CONTAINING THE SAME

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain a new optically active compound useful for an antiferroelectric liquid crystal display element, capable of maintaining an antiferroelectric phase in a wide temperature range and simultaneously developing a smectic A phase when mixed with a antiferroelectric liquid crystal. SOLUTION: This optically active compound is shown by formula I (X and Y are each H or F; (m) is 3-8; (n) is 4-8) such as R-(-)-4-(1- methylheptyloxycrbonyl)phenyl=2-fluoro-4-(3-mehoxypropylcarbonyloxy) benzoate. The example compound is obtained by reac ting 4-(3 methoxypropylcarbonyloxy)-2-fluorobenozic acid with R-(-)-4-hydroxy-1-(1- methylheptyloxycarbonyl)benzene. When the compound of formula I is added, for example, to an antiferroelectric liquid crystal which is shown by formula II (Z is X; R is a 6-12C straight chain alkyl; (r) is 5-8; (s) is an even number of >=2) and has no smectic phase A, the obtained composition develops a smectic phase A.